taking a look at how I am improving my skills as a homemaker...sharing about life in general: marriage, family, cooking, cleaning, saving money while keeping it simple!

6.11.2011

How to Keep Your Home Organized and Tidy!

A friend of mine today asked me to explain my "Speed Cleaning" for her. My husband also asked if he could have my "Speed Cleaning" skills so I thought I would share it with you. Also, I will share some other great ideas to help you find a way that will work for you.

I have tired many things to keep up with the household chores. First I started out with a schedule...this did not work for me because I could never seem to follow what I wrote down. Next I tried making a long list of things that I wanted to get done that week. When I completed them I would cross it off...the downside was that my lists were SO long and I would get discourage and not finish.

Even with taking care of two little ones during the day I can now get my whole house in order. I do a combination of things. I do make a list and I speed clean.

I changed how I did my list though. The night before (most nights, not all) I write down a short list of things I would like to get accomplished. The list being short is a huge key. This way you can actually get everything finished and if you don't write it on the list for the next day.

Never get discouraged if you did not complete everything on your list. There is always tomorrow or the next day. hehe

On the hand of speed cleaning...I have always done this...and yes it is actually clean when finished. I probably mastered my skills in high school. My mom would have a LONG list of chores for us to finish before she got home. Of course, I never started until an hour or so before she did get home. I was able to run through the house and get everything done. My sister and I would turn on Christina Aguilera and jam out!

In the same, I take an hour (usually when the girls are playing in Hailey's room...I can see them from most rooms in the house) and go through the whole house... dusting, vacuuming, wash the dishes that need to be washed then dry them and anything else that needs to be done. I also am washing clothes during this time. I normally wash one or two loads every few days.

A great way to get started is by setting a timer for 20 minutes and seeing what you can get done in a specific room. You will be amazed! Pick one room each day and clean for 20 minutes! It is that easy. When you want to clean the whole house set the timer for an hour.

I will say that I thoroughly clean the house once a week. I will start with one room each day...sometimes two and just clean it top to bottom. Also, during my speed cleaning I use a Swiffer Duster to go through and dust the whole house...even the base boards and the door frames! I love it because this takes about 10-15 minutes!

Now my specialty is when we have company coming over on short notice and the house is not very presentable. This is where I kick into high gear and get everything done in like 10-15 minutes. I make the bed, pick up dirty clothes or put them away, wash the dishes quickly or put them in the dishwasher and use my handy dandy swiffer! It makes cleaning the kitchen floor so easy! If you are out of the pads just use a wash cloth! It works just as well.

Another thing I learned was to take a wet washcloth, add a small amount of hand soap and wipe out your sink and bath tub. This will help lower the soap build up until you are able to thoroughly clean. I also have a box for Hailey's toys, one for our mail and a catch all box. I try to go through them once a week and put things away where they need to go or throw out what is not needed. This helps all your things from being scattered around the house.

A few other tips I have are:

- Clean as you go. This helps when you are cooking or cleaning. Before you start...make sure you have a clean sink! Then fill it back up with hot, soapy water to put your dirty dishes/pots or pans in. Once I have everything in the oven or crock pot, I head over to the sink and get to washin'!

- When you are finished with dinner don't just throw everything in the sink and leave. Wash and dry the dishes! Nathan and I do this every night and we feel so much more relaxed afterwards. It is amazing! We get to talk some more and spend time together. It is a win win!

- For coffee lovers out there...make sure your pot is ready to go in the morning! I recently started cleaning our coffee pot and getting it ready so I could just walk in the kitchen and switch it on!

- Pick up around the house after the kids are put to bed. My Nana use to do this all the time when she was raising her kids. If they are old enough, they could have a couple of things to do around the house to help you out during the evening...after school.

- My favorite...turn some dancing music on! This always helps me to get in the mood to clean! I can dance around with the babies, sing to them and get work done!

I hope this may help you get started into your own routine. I know life gets busy but your household is so much more happy and relaxed in a clean environment! Start small. Don't get discouraged. A little a day goes a long way!

Also, I am available for those who live in the Chattanooga area to help with organizing and cleaning. I have a great reference...Mrs. Joy (Nathan's mom). I have helped her a few times with her kitchen and garage. I love doing things like this! Just let me know!

One more thing: I love this website - http://www.simpleorganizedliving.com/. Andrea has some amazing tips and even free downloads to help you with things around your home! Check it out!

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About Me

"As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15
I am married to a wonderful man, Nathan Rankin. And we are now proud parents of two beautiful little girls, Hailey Morgan and Harper Avery.
Currently I am a stay at home mom.
Goals for my blog:
- to share my life as a mother and wife
- to share deals on groceries
- to share cheap meal ideas
- to be an encouragement